On Gun Control: Name the Enemy

PARKLAND, FL - FEBRUARY 14: People are brought out of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after a shooting at the school that reportedly killed and injured multiple people on February 14, 2018 in Parkland, Florida. PHOTO: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

As the United States is, yet again, crumbled with grief and anger due to gun violence, prominent Republican figures show where their true loyalties lie.

Here we are again, for the eighth time this year, mourning the losses in a school shooting. It’s easy to get caught up in questions like, “When will it be enough?” I’m sorry, but it has been enough a long time ago. Now, we must focus on the “Why?” or I fear the pain will never cease.

The Second Amendment

I was born in the State of Texas, a gun-loving, 2nd amendment touting state. Yet, I am not blind to the danger such an obsession can cause. Let’s go back to 1788 when our Constitution was ratified. The United States has been recently emancipated from its colonial status and fears a tyrannical government. Logically, the 2nd amendment provides well-organized militias the access to weapons in order to combat such a government. However, we do not live in the same country anymore. We don’t carry muskets in our purses or on our waists. We carry automatic weapons and fun-sized pink pistols. We are not a well-organized militia, we are individuals. If we truly intended to protect ourselves from the authoritative hands of a government like our founders intended, we would be out of luck. The United States government owns drones and nuclear weapons. I’m sure the 9mm you keep strapped to your hip will hold-up.

So, if we are going to talk about the Second Amendment, let us do it right.

The NRA

The National Rifle Association is one of the biggest lobbies in US Politics. Oh, the power they yield. If we ever want to stand a chance at impeding their wealth motivated goals, let us analyze their weapons.

The NRA’s first weapon is its money. I’m sure it is no secret to you that our elected officials take money from the NRA to fund their reelection campaigns. Politico reports that Republicans received around $5,900,000 from the NRA in the 2016 election cycle and Democrats received $106,000. But what does that money mean? The NRA “donates” money, “hoping” that the recipient will vouch for their interests when it comes to legislation. These are not our congressmen anymore. Unless we have $5 million in our pockets to convince them they are. So the next time your representative talks about how it is “not a gun issue,” make sure you see their puppet strings.

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The NRA’s second weapon is its supporters. NRA supporters are categorized as “single-issue” voters. This means that they are likely to vote the ballot that favors them on the one particular issue of guns. Whereas most voters evaluate a conglomerate of issues and vote accordingly (often having to compromise and prioritize), the NRA’s groupies just vote on this one issue. It has been widely reported that 90% of US voters support gun control. Too bad we vote for the people who put it on the back-burner.

We need to remind our congressmen who they work for. So either call them out or vote them out.

Is this a mental health issue?

Yes, but last time I checked, they don’t kill with their minds. If you want to stop the “mentally unstable” from killing innocents, stop giving them guns. Do not arm those who wish us harm. Background checks in EVERY gun purchase should be a no-brainer. I get it, here in America, we love guns. So if you can pass a background check, knock yourself out. Those of you who pride yourself on being responsible “gun owners” will continue to have access to your guns. But whenever you tell me you do not want to undergo a background check, you’re telling me you have something to hide.

After the shooting in Sutherland Springs, Senator Ted Cruz said that gun control would not work because those who intend to kill will do so with what they can find. He’s right, but it’s harder to kill that many people with a knife than an AR-15. So if they can’t find guns, we have at least made it harder.

Give them more guns

Many Republicans have begun to endorse this truly innovative solution. In order to stop gun deaths from occurring, they say, we should give everyone a gun. Many want to train teachers and students to fight back. Really? If the teachers have access to guns, is there any safety measure to prevent the students from gaining access to them as well?

What if the adults you want to arm are not mentally stable, what then? You just gave them a gun.

The answer is never more guns. Fred Hampton said, “You don’t fight fire with fire. You fight fire with water.” It’s time to listen.

It is undeniable that progress on such a deep-seeded issue will take years to rectify. There are hundreds of millions of guns already in circulation in our country. But if we can do more to stop a person from obtaining an AR-15, how can we rest easy without doing so? The families and victims of gun violence are not just calling on the government, they are calling on YOU to act. Remind your representatives who they represent. There are many issues in this country that do not have a simple solution; we are lucky this one does.

During his campaign, Donald Trump repeated that we need to be able to name our problems if we ever hope to solve them. So leave behind your prayers, your condolences and name your enemy. We need gun control now.

1 Comment

You said it, we need gun control NOW. How many lives do we need to loose in order for them to do something about it? Enough is enough! Thank you Daniela, it is encouraging to see young minds think the way you do.